5 Ways to Survive Working While Pregnant

Truth: It can be a struggle working through your pregnancy, but there are ways to make it easier. While I pushed through up until a week before my due date, I was definitely a hot mess. There’s really no way around the fact that it’s hard to work through an entire pregnancy! However, I did find things that worked for me and allowed me to keep giving my best day in and day out. I hope some of these tips help you!

1. Have a go-bag.

Having a go-bag is SO important. A go-bag is for exactly what it sounds like: when you have to GO! During the first trimester especially, weird stuff happens to your system. Things could be coming out of any end at any time. Gross, but true. When you are at work, you need to be able to recover from whatever happens and feel a little less gross when you return to your tasks. These were my go-bag essentials: mouthwash, mints, ginger candies, hand sanitizer, wet wipes, tissues, lotion, makeup, ginger ale, headphones. If you’re already a mama and this is your second (or third, or fourth…) time around, you might also want to include extra undies! Apparently, it’s a thing for us moms to "leak" sometimes. Peezing is a real thing. Again, gross, but so true. Anyways, having a go-bag allows you to take care of business, feel better, then get back to the real business without stinky breath or questionable mascara. Add whatever you need to feel comfortable! And that brings us to our next item….

2. Invest in comfort.

Even in an office setting when you mostly sit at a desk, you have to feel comfortable in your clothes. Invest in a couple of good pairs of maternity pants and wider set shoes for your swollen feet. Honestly, I liked the full panel maternity pants better than the side panel. Side panel pants just try too hard to look normal – they still have buttons and stuff. They would dig into my belly and leave painful marks. Another thing that can help is a belly band for support. I resisted this for sooo long, but I finally gave in due to back pain. Imagine a sports bra but for your baby bump, and that’s what a belly band is. Highly recommended by my doctor and now me!

3. Tell your boss as early as you can.

I am extremely grateful to work for a company that has awesome programs for moms and doesn’t penalize you for getting pregnant or wanting time off. That being said, if you are able, I’d recommend telling your boss maybe even as soon as you find out. If you’re having raging morning sickness and a lot of doctor’s visits, it will help to communicate openly with your boss. They will most likely be way more understanding if they know what is going on. I told my boss as soon as my symptoms became really strong, and she kept it in confidence until I was comfortable with other people finding out.

4. Have an office support system.

I work with a couple of close friends that I trust, and it was so helpful to have them around all day. If I was having a hard time, they could go to the cafeteria for me to grab a ginger ale or crackers so I could avoid the smells. They were also always around to hear me complain about whatever crazy symptoms or rude comments I was dealing with that day. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I hadn’t been able to talk things out with them throughout the day.

5. Carpool if you can.

I was able to find a great group of people at work to carpool with. We all had the same long commute and would meet with a bunch of other carpoolers at a store parking lot near our homes. Then, each person would drive the group once a week. This was a lifesaver (and money saver) for me. I was so exhausted during my pregnancy, and this let me get a little extra rest in the mornings. Make sure you can generally trust the drivers, and if you’re having bad morning sickness, maybe wait until that subsides a little bit before risking other people's upholstery!

Workin' moms unite! Share your tips in the comments to help other mamas maintain their boss mom status while bumping along through a pregnancy.

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